Listening to the debut long-player from Loyal Divide, you would never guess it was recorded anywhere but a professional studio. Singer/producer Adam Johnson crafted it someplace that has been a longtime favorite for indie musicians on a budget: a closet in mom and dad's house. Johnson, a Columbus, Ohio, native, returned home to make the band's first proper album, "Bodice Ripper," which is a slinky, exacting electro-rock offering. While it is very modern and sits well...

PRAGUE/LONDON (Reuters) - Central and south-eastern Europe could face higher gas prices and potential shortages this winter, as a prolonged price row between Russia and Ukraine heightens regional supply fears. The former Soviet countries, many of which receive most or all of their gas from Russia via Ukraine, have been scrambling to fill storage tanks and arrange alternate supply sources to prepare for the winter heating season. In June, Russian natural...

Isn`t it a bit strange that the two scandals we have had in the last 13 years have come about while the Republicans were at the helm? But maybe all is not lost; the shredded paper in the basement could be used to start a fire in the fireplace. After all, it will be a long, cold winter.

If I want to complain about the heat, I can. Yes, we had a brutally cold winter and a late start to spring. But, except for days when the wind chill was well below zero, it didn't bother me. It was the fact that it was so far into the year before I could put away the winter coats and boots. On the other hand, I don't deal with hot, humid weather. No one likes walking outside into a sauna, or when a car sits outside so long that the steering wheel and other controls are very hot...

Couldn't we keep a few of the delightful cows protected from the weather inside large, open public spaces, like the Cultural Center or Union Station, to remind us, during the cold winter, of the summer of the blissful bovines?

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Restaurant operator Noodles & Co reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results, blaming the unusually cold winter in the United States, which it also said would hurt results in the current quarter. Shares of the company, which went public in June, fell as much as 11.5 percent in heavy trading after the bell on Wednesday. The company, known for its Pad Thai and Mac & Cheese dishes, said nearly 80 percent of its restaurants are...

I`m a freshman at Barrington High School and I feel that we all should make this Christmas a special one. There are so many unfortunate people in this world. Try to pitch in a little and donate a hat, scarf, jacket, pair of gloves or a pair of shoes to a parish or shelter near you and help the unfortunate survive this long, cold winter. The homeless will also be needing your support throughout the year, so please try to give them your support. Have a wonderful Christmas and remember it is more glorious...

By Sean Conway, Tribune Content Agency and Cultivating Life by Sean Conway | February 17, 2014

When I got out of bed this morning the thermometer outside my window read a mere 12 degrees. Several inches of new snow fell overnight, and as soon as the sun popped up over the horizon the brightness was almost blinding. In many parts of the country, a mercury reading barely into the double digits might seem downright balmy. After all, it was above zero. Once I had a cup of coffee in hand, I didn't give the temperature much thought at all until something...

Dear Tom, The concept of global warming is compelling, but how can last year's cold winter fit into that pattern? —Bill Price, Madison, Wis. Dear Bill, First, short-term cooling (a few years) does not contradict the concept of global warming — longer-term trends are what count; and second, one must consider the planet as a whole. Last year's harsh winter was a regional event affecting mainly the eastern U.S., whereas...

By Scott DiSavino NEW YORK, Feb 14 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas prices will average the highest level in four years in 2014, buoyed by a freezing start to the year that has boosted demand and depleted stockpiles, according to a Reuters poll of analysts on Friday. Prices will rise even further in 2015 and 2016 as demand for electric generation rises with the shutdown of coal power plants and as exports to Mexico, Europe and Asia increase. Spot...

If I want to complain about the heat, I can. Yes, we had a brutally cold winter and a late start to spring. But, except for days when the wind chill was well below zero, it didn't bother me. It was the fact that it was so far into the year before I could put away the winter coats and boots. On the other hand, I don't deal with hot, humid weather. No one likes walking outside into a sauna, or when a car sits outside so long that the steering wheel and other controls are very hot...

By Jessica Donati and Mirwais Harooni HERAT, Afghanistan, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Thousands of homeless Afghans are huddling on the sides of freezing roads this winter with little shelter and nothing to eat, not far from warehouses stuffed with food. The government's inability to help - through mismanagement, corruption, or factors beyond its control - threatens the future of a united Afghanistan after an April presidential election and the...

Investors learned last year that the weather channel can be more important than the stock market channel. Last year's hurricanes, fires and drought placed stress on the economy, though financial markets endured. In recent weeks, a more optimistic weather story emerged, as unseasonably warm and dry conditions have prevailed. Economist Ray Stone of Stone & McCarthy Research Associates says January's estimated average temperature nationally of 40 degrees was 10 degrees above normal.

Want something spicy, hearty and easy for dinner this week? Whip out your slow cooker and make this five-ingredient green curry pork. (OK, it's seven ingredients if you include salt and pepper.) It takes 15 minutes to set up, and when all is said and done you'll have tender, rich and spicy pork curry. The secret ingredient in this recipe is Thai green curry paste. Look for Maesri curry paste; it can be found at nearly any Asian grocery store. It's a...

The sun shone on a beautiful fall morning Saturday, but thousands of people who lined up outside the UIC Forum already had Chicago's winter on their minds. More than 4,600 families picked up free winter coats for children at the Chicago Housing Authority's fourth annual coat drive, the largest crowd of recipients that eventorganizers have seen. The economy played a role in the larger number, but so did increased word of mouth about the event, which includes free medical...

The beautiful thing about Navy Pier's Winter WonderFest is that you don't have to freeze your patootie off to enjoy its wonderment. The indoor festival includes sleigh rides, ice skating, live entertainment (the Chicago FootworKINGz break-dancing team performs at the New Year's Eve Family Bash), concerts, carnival rides (who loves Tilt-A-Whirl?) and inflatable slides. For a detailed schedule of activities go to winterwonderfest.com . Why go: See freezing of the...

If there's one theater company in Chicago that seems least likely to play by the rules, it's Redmoon. Its theatrical spectacles -- most of them site-specific, many outdoors -- skiplots of traditional storytelling techniques, and opt instead for visual wow factors, instead of text-based ones, with wild, human-powered mechanicals and otherworldly characters. When it comes to "Winter Pageant," however, Redmoon hangs its hat on tradition, resurrecting a format that's based on seasonal change, from summer on through...

The sun shone on a beautiful fall morning Saturday, but thousands of people who lined up outside the UIC Forum already had Chicago's winter on their minds. More than 4,600 families picked up free winter coats for children at the Chicago Housing Authority's fourth annual coat drive, the largest crowd of recipients that eventorganizers have seen. The economy played a role in the larger number, but so did increased word of mouth about the event, which includes free medical...

The sun shone on a beautiful fall morning Saturday, but thousands of people who lined up outside the UIC Forum already had the depths of Chicago's winter on their minds. More than 4,600 families showed up to the Forum to pick up free winter coats for children at the Chicago Housing Authority's fourth annual coat drive, the largest crowd of recipients that the event's organizers have seen. The bad economy played a role in the larger numbers, but so did increasing word of...